


cling

by ROSEWAR



Category: Tales of Xillia
Genre: 15-Year-Old Julius, 7-Year-Old Ludger, Bed-Wetting, Gen, Pre-Game(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-24
Updated: 2015-06-24
Packaged: 2018-04-05 22:31:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4197453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ROSEWAR/pseuds/ROSEWAR
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Things are a little tense in their new apartment, and Julius realizes that he's starting to get attached.</p>
            </blockquote>





	cling

He expected there to be a bit of mental and emotional anguish from both their ends after everything that had happened to Claudia. Ludger was still in a daze, even a few weeks after the fact. Julius hadn't seen him emerge from the room their grandpa put him up in for the time being. Julius assumed the boy left to use the bathroom and eat, and he didn't care much one way or the other about what happened to him beyond that since he wasn't long for this world anyway, so that was that.

Martin agreed to help him get on his feet, buying him furniture and living necessities, and helping with the deposit on an apartment. It wasn't anything fancy, just a pair of rooms, and it happened to be close to the Spirius building, so Julius was grateful.

He took care of moving the furniture, constructing it, and generally making the apartment livable. He didn't expect much from Ludger, and wasn't surprised when the boy did little more than watch him timidly before scurrying to an empty room. The most they conversed over was Julius asking him where he would like his furniture positioned. Most of Ludger's responses boiled down to 'anywhere is fine.'

The night Julius puts the finishing touches on Ludger's room, and the two of them aren't stuck on boxsprings on the floor, is the night Julius considers everything   _done._ He celebrates by sneaking some alcohol from Martin's and letting himself have a drink. He thought about asking Ludger if he wanted anything special, but when he checks on the boy, he finds him already asleep.

It wasn't worth disturbing him, so Julius takes a long, thoughtful shower, and readies himself for bed. It's a little strange, living beneath a new ceiling like this, but he's quick to remember that this is much better than the alternative. There was no possible way he could live beneath the roof of someone who let his mother die.

Julius feels distinctly empty when he falls asleep, but he's used to the feeling by now. He dreams of fabled blackness spreading over his mother's skin, and the Land of Canaan, which he imagines to be dark and covered in miasma, the perfect image of futility and despair.

He isn't sure how long he'd been in deep sleep, but the sound of his door sliding open makes him stir somewhat. He's vaguely aware of a presence lingering at the threshold of his door since it doesn't close, but Julius pays little mind to it. Just as he's ready to slip under once again, he hears a sound that resembles a squeak.

The noise, this hesitant and timid thing, happens again, but it's closer this time, and that's when Julius finally opens his eyes. His first instinct is vexation at being awoken like this, but when he retrieves his glasses and his vision begins to sharpen, he's surprised to see Ludger at the side of his bed, looking down at the floor, tiny fists clutching the hem of his shirt.

"What is it?" Julius groans, not trying all that hard to hide his annoyance.

Ludger's gaze flickers up before settling back down, and he hesitates, answering with nothing but another one of those strangled squeaking noises. Julius notes the sheer  _redness_  that's spread over his face, but with tiredness plaguing him, he finds it hard to be sympathetic.

"Well?" he snaps again, pushing himself up into a sitting position.

Ludger takes in a bracing breath and squares his shoulders. "I... I had an accident."

Julius blinks, processing the words, but in the end finds his annoyance dissipating, albeit slightly. He supposes he can't blame the boy too much. He's been through a lot; there's obviously a disconcerting gap in his memory that he probably has no idea how to deal with. All of that, on top of moving into a completely new place with someone who's basically a stranger to him--

With a sigh, Julius slides out of bed. "Come on."

Ludger nods, squeezing his shirt, and follows after Julius  as they make their way to his room.

"Did you wash up and change already?" Julius asks distractedly as he begins moving the pillows and peeling the sheets off of Ludger's bed.

Ludger answers with a belated noise of affirmation. Julius can't quite  _feel_  himself being watched, so when he bundles the wetted blankets up, he looks down at Ludger, who is avoiding his gaze.

Again, Julius finds himself being surprisingly understanding, but says nothing as he takes the load in his arms to the cramped little laundry room.

"We don't have any spare sheets..." Julius muses mostly to himself as he pulls a towel out of a cabinet.

As they make their way back to Ludger's room, and he sets the towel over the spot on the mattress, Ludger finally speaks up.

"Sorry," he says, voice strained and apologetic. When Julius looks over his shoulder to catch his expression, he feels what little annoyance he has left fade away. The boy looks as if he could cry at any moment, lips set in a pouty frown, eyes glossy, as if he were afraid.

Julius sighs, reaches over to ruffle Ludger's hair a little too affectionately for his liking.

"Don't cry. You're a big kid, right?"

"But I--" Ludger starts, looking up at Julius with a strange sort of helpless desperation.

Julius shakes his head. "I'm not mad. It happens."

Ludger takes in a slow, shaky breath before nodding, and his gaze settles back onto the floor.

Julius thinks far more than his sleepy brain wants to, and ultimately sighs in resignation.

"Come on," he says, reaching down to give Ludger's head a light stroke to get his attention. "You can sleep with me tonight."

Ludger looks up, stares at him as if wanting to make sure he heard right. When Julius gives him a light nudge towards his room, reality sets in and Ludger follows.

Julius helps him into his bed before sliding in at the other side. There's a large distance between them, and Julius faces away from the boy. doesn't spare him a goodnight.

It's a difficult to relax, nevermind fall back asleep, with Ludger shuffling to adjust and curl up behind him, but eventually the distinct feeling of being watched comes over him, so Julius turns around to check on Ludger.

He has the blankets drawn so far up that the only thing exposed are his eyes, and they carry a saddened, confused quality to them. Julius wonders if this is how Ludger always sleeps.

Either way, he can't really blame the child, so he sighs good-naturedly before scooting forward.

"Come here," he murmurs softly, extending an inviting arm.

Ludger stares at him for a moment, and it takes Julius inching a bit closer to him, before he finally squirms his way over, tentatively pressing their bodies together. He doesn't cling like Julius anticipates, but that's fine with him. Still, he settles an arm over Ludger's tiny body, tucks the boy's head beneath his chin, and settles in, going lax against the bed.

Everything is quiet for a few long moments, before Ludger speaks up.

"Do you hate me?" he asks, soft and sad, defeated.

Julius thinks about all that he's taken from Ludger already, and what he plans to take from him later on. Part of him isn't concerned with what's to come. He has his own agenda to fulfill, after all.

But he's getting attached, he thinks to himself when he feels Ludger square his shoulders and begin to slowly inch away from him. Julius squeezes him tight, pulls Ludger to his chest, and shakes his head.

"I don't hate you, Ludger."

After a noise of affirmation from Ludger, the silence persists. Ludger scoots as close to Julius as he can, presses their bodies so tightly together that Julius swears nothing can come between them, and Ludger latches onto him,  _clings._

Ludger's hold is possessive and desperate, and Julius falls asleep in it.


End file.
